Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

away from the terminal, but he had. So he really was a white-knuckle flyer. After the way he'd treated her when he sensed she was nervous around him, she should repay him in kind. But as she saw the color drain from his face, human decency won out, and she began to tell him about the coral reefs in the Straits of Florida, and how they could be damaged by a storm of the magnitude of Brigitte.
    The airplane started its ascent and David closed his eyes but Holly just kept talking.
    "We know from Hurricane Andrew that damage to the reefs can go to depths over a hundred feet. There were cases of sunken ships being ripped apart or moved great distances, and the coral that had been growing on them was totally destroyed in the process. The elkhorn coral and sea fans are at the greatest risk because they're so fragile. But even the sturdier species like the brain coral will die if they're smothered in shifting sands."
    Holly noted the fine sheen of perspiration coating his upper lip and he hadn't moved a muscle in a full minute.
    When the plane leveled off in the sky, she watched his breathing regulate and his fingers relax. Finally, he opened his eyes.
    "Thanks. That was very nice."
    "You're welcome. Now, do I have to say it all over again?"
    He smiled his little-boy smile. "I told you I have an excellent memory. Besides, there's something about being terrified that intensifies everything else that happens at the same time. Have you ever noticed that?"
    She caught the heat of his gaze and blushed before she could control her thoughts. Turning her head away, she made a pretense of examining the clouds. So much for being nice. It was somewhat comforting, however, to know there was something she was more confident about than he was. His irrational fear of flying made him a little less frightening to her. But only a little.
    David motioned for the flight attendant and asked for another drink. Even for him, he thought, that last shot was pretty low. She had just witnessed him at his weakest moment, and didn't take advantage of it, yet he had gone right for the jugular. What was it about Holly Kaufman that brought out his worst behavior?
    It was more than simply having his male ego bruised. Seeing her again had him coming up with new answers. He despised liars, and, although he couldn't put his finger on it, there was something basically dishonest about her. The possibility that it had something to do with Ziegler took a back seat to his personal response to her. She had made him react in anger. He didn't like that. She had made him want to crawl inside of her and stay there forever. He was scared to death of that.
    Upon reflection, he did know what one of her lies was. On the surface she appeared to be a sophisticated woman of the world. That was the lie. One kiss had informed him she was as innocent as a girl. Christine had told him Holly had nothing to do with any man but Philip and he had witnessed that peculiar relationship first hand. When he had accused her of being scared of him, he hadn't considered the possibility that it was simply because he was a man. This lady hadn't been playing "hard-to-get" as he had first suspected; she really didn't want to be caught.
    And now, at his first opportunity to make amends, he had stuck another needle into her thin skin. Perhaps, subconsciously, he wanted her to dislike him, or at least be leery of him, because for the last three days, he had had one hell of a time staying away from her—and not just because of the story. He didn't like that either.
    He tossed back his drink and put his mind on the assignment ahead of him. "What arrangements do you have to get to the Keys?"
    She studied his expression for a moment before answering. "Evelyn reserved a rental car for pickup at the Miami airport yesterday."
    "Where are you staying?"
    "A hotel in South Miami. It's some distance from the heart of the disaster, but I was lucky to get that."
    "I'm surprised you could get a room at all. Besides people seeking shelter, I assume reporters from every major television station and newspaper in the world are on their way there by now. Not to mention government reps, insurance adjustors, power company employees from other states and every unemployed carpenter and roofer in the southeastern United States."
    She nodded her agreement with his assessment. "I've suspected Evelyn is a miracle worker on occasion. Are you going to be covering the disaster in general or do you have a specific